Charlotte Hornets Unveil New Court

June 26, 2014 - The Charlotte Hornets today unveiled the team’s new playing court for Time Warner Cable Arena. The court, which was revealed online on hornets.com and across all the team’s social media platforms this morning at 10 a.m., includes a pair of Novant Health logos in front of each bench as part of an enhanced partnership between the two organizations. This is the first time the franchise has had a corporate partner represented on its court.

The floor, which features the team’s primary logo at center court, has a cell pattern stained in the wood and includes a teal border and purple free-throw lanes. Both baselines have the words “Charlotte Hornets” in the team’s font. The design includes a pair of Buzz City logos inside the three-point line on either end in a show of civic pride, as well as the team’s Crown CH logo at center court on the apron. The Time Warner Cable Arena logo appears twice on the court as it has in the past.

“We are very excited to reveal the design of our playing floor to our fans,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & COO Fred Whitfield. “We believe the look represents our identity, from the cell pattern on the wood, to the Buzz City logos, to having the full ‘Charlotte Hornets’ on the baselines. We are also pleased to add the logo of our great partner Novant Health as they continue to find ways to make healthcare remarkable.”

With the addition of the Novant Health logos in front of the benches, the Hornets become the eighth NBA team to have partner logos on the court apron. Novant Health is the Hornets’ official healthcare provider, and the two organizations also partner on initiatives including the Novant Health Community Care Cruiser and the annual My Hero Gala.

“As the official healthcare provider for the team, Novant Health is proud to have our brand on this new court to further connect our two organizations,” said Novant Health Executive Vice President & Chief Consumer Officer Jesse Cureton. “We’re as excited as the rest of the community that the Charlotte Hornets are back.”

The Hornets’ wood playing surface is constructed from northern hard maple and was manufactured by Cincinnati-based Robbins Sports Surfaces. The floor is made up of more than 200 sectional panels, each of which are 4 feet by 8 feet and weigh approximately 175 pounds. It features a revolutionary locking system designed to speed up arena changeovers and provide a tight, monolithic appearance. The floor is designed to enhance the safety, comfort and performance of the players as it will absorb about 60% of a player’s impact energy. The intent is to provide a surface that allows for exciting play while at the same time reducing wear and tear on the players’ bodies.

As with the team’s overall brand identity and uniforms, the court was designed in collaboration with senior executives within the Hornets organization; Jordan Brand, a division of Nike; and the NBA’s Global Merchandising Group. Both Jordan Brand and Nike have a long history of working with professional teams and universities in developing brand identities and utilize some of the world’s most highly recognized designers.